PLANAR ELEMENT, AND TOUCH SWITCH

• US 20110102370A1
• Filed: 07/27/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gunze Limited
• Original Assignee: Gunze Limited
• Inventors: Kono, Katsumasa, Mizumoto, Hideaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,717,332 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard

Abstract

The present invention provides a touch switch having two ITO-free electrode layers that are bonded together, the touch switch having good visibility, and a planar body that forms such a touch switch. The planar body includes a mesh-like electrode formed in a mesh shape by multiple conductor lines L on one side of a substrate, in which the mesh-like electrode is separated into multiple conductive areas disposed at intervals, and non-conductive areas each disposed between each of the conductive areas; each non-conductive area has multiple cutting portions that cut the conductor lines L, and each non-conductive area insulates between the adjacent conductive areas by the cutting portions.

Claims

1. A planar body comprising a mesh-like electrode formed in a mesh shape with multiple conductor lines on one side of a substrate,

wherein the mesh-like electrode is separated into multiple conductive areas disposed at intervals and non-conductive areas formed in a mesh shape, and each disposed between the adjacent conductive areas,

each non-conductive area has multiple cutting portions that cut the conductor lines and thereby ensures insulation, and

each non-conductive area insulates between the adjacent conductive areas by the cutting portions.

2. The planar body according to claim 1, wherein the cutting portions are formed at intersections of the conductor lines of the mesh-like electrode.

3. The planar body according to claim 1, wherein the mesh pitch of the mesh-like electrode is 100 μ

m to 1,000 μ

m.

4. The planar body according to claim 1, wherein the conductive areas have at least one cutting portion that cuts the conductor lines without interfering with the conductivity between the ends of each conductive area.

5. A capacitive touch switch comprising a plurality of the planar bodies recited in claim 1,

wherein the planar bodies are laminated and bonded together via an adhesive layer.

6. The capacitive touch switch according to claim 5, wherein the conductive areas formed on one planar body are disposed to perpendicularly intersect the conductive areas formed on a different planar body.

7. A touch switch mounted to a front side of a display unit, the touch switch comprising:

a substrate;

multiple first electrodes formed on one side of the substrate and arranged at certain intervals; and

multiple second electrodes formed on the other side of the substrate and arranged at certain intervals to form a grid pattern with the multiple first electrodes,

wherein each of the first and second electrodes forms a mesh structure with multiple conductor lines,

the touch switch comprises first auxiliary lines formed between the first electrodes on the one side, and second auxiliary lines formed between the second electrodes on the other side, and

a grid pattern with equal intervals is formed by the conductor lines of the first electrodes, the first auxiliary lines, the conductor lines of the second electrodes, and the second auxiliary lines.

9. The touch switch according to claim 7, wherein the conductor lines of the first electrodes, the first auxiliary lines, or both of them formed on the one side of the substrate form continuous lines with the conductor lines of the second electrodes, the second auxiliary lines, or both of them formed on the other side of the substrate.

8. (canceled)

10. A touch switch comprising:

a first substrate;

a second substrate disposed facing the first substrate;

multiple first electrodes formed on the first substrate, specifically on a side facing the second substrate, and arranged at certain intervals;

and multiple second electrodes formed on the second substrate, specifically on a side away from the first substrate, and arranged at certain intervals to form a grid pattern with the multiple first electrodes,

wherein each of the first and second electrodes form a mesh structure with multiple conductor lines,

the touch switch comprises first auxiliary lines formed between the first electrodes on the first substrate, specifically on the side facing the second substrate, and second auxiliary lines formed between the second electrodes on the second substrate, specifically on the side away from the first substrate; and

a grid pattern with equal intervals is formed by the conductor lines of the first electrodes, the first auxiliary lines, the conductor lines of the second electrodes, and the second auxiliary lines.

12. The touch switch according to claim 10, wherein the conductor lines of the first electrodes, the first auxiliary lines, or both of them formed on the first substrate form continuous lines with the conductor lines of the second electrodes, the second auxiliary lines, or both of them formed on the second substrate.

11. (canceled)